Frequently I’m asked “As an image consultant do you always have to dress up?”. My answer is, “Well I still wear jeans and t-shirts, but they’re good jeans and t-shirts and I tend to accessorize too.” You never know when you leave the house, even if it’s just the supermarket or the school run, if…
Hi Imogen, I am 5’0 and 120lb with a figure of eight shape. I am very short waisted (my waist is the smallest about 1.5 inches from the bottom of my bust). So I’ve been wearing shirts untucked with a belt as I have a little bit of a belly. The only thing is, it…
There are a plethora of style rules to follow and sure they’ll help you look fabulous and flatter you body and colouring. But doesn’t it sometimes get boring following rules. I wanted to show you in one outfit the rules I’ve followed and the one I’ve broken. Verily dress Breaking the Rules Today I wore…
If you are a busy mum and spend much of your time in practical clothing like a knit top with a pair of jeans, how do you dress it up to make it more stylish whilst still remaining practical? Accessories are key … let me show you how. When my daughter was 4 years old…
I was asked by a reader the other day for help choosing winter coats. Here are a few tips. Clockwise from top left: Show off a defined waist with a belted coat like a trench – great for X, A and 8 shapes. If you are petite, keep your coat knee length or shorter and…
I was asked the other day by a reader where are the defining points to figure out body shape. How to Define Your Body Shape Is it bust, waist and hips, shoulders waist and hips and where are the hips defined from – the thigh or up on the buttock area? For me (and I’m sure there…
People always ask me where the best point is to end their tops and jackets. As the hem of a top creates a horizontal line, the best place is on a narrow point, rather than a wide point. If you are a body shape that has wider hips/thighs than waist, A, X, H, 8 (or…
If you’re like me and like to wear a cardi when it’s a little nippy, how to choose one to flatter your figure? How to Choose a Flattering Cardigan Clockwise from top left The stripy cardigan is great for I shapes, the wide stripes will add curves as will the pocket detail which will add…
“Do you think certain body types/faces look better in certain styles of clothes – and what I mean here is either casual, classic, sporty, etc.I have an X shape (hourglass) and with it being spring going into summer here in Canada, everyone wears t-shirts and capris/shorts a lot, but I find I look dumpy/matronly in…
Yes, body shapes can be confusing, we are all unique, so there is no exact standard for body shapes, but these are guidelines. You can be a mix of body shapes, though you will probably find that you fall more into one shape than another. If you have the top half of an A and…
On to the next shape – today we have an H body shape (rectangle body shape). What you will notice is that there is not much definition between the shoulders, waist and hips, sure there is a little curve here and there, but not a really defined waist curve. Here is another H – you…
Reader’s question: “Which tops and jackets to make a busty H-shape body with high hips and short, waist, long legs look good?” Flattering tops and jackets for H shape body What are the features that an H Shape should avoid taking to the change room to stop depression setting in when on a shopping trip?…
I was over at Academic Chic who all LOVE belts, in a big way. This week, S is doing a course on belting, if you’re interested in following along. Belting is something that you need to try out for yourself, some of us have bodies that belt well (body shapes -I, X, 8 A, V)…
Blogger Metscan asks: One more suggestion for you Imogen. Could you do a post telling what rules you won´t break ever? It would be so much fun. Thanks ! It was interesting thinking about this topic – what rules would I never break? I know there are definitely rules that I wouldn’t break when dressing…
I’m an H shape, not waist to speak of, and sometimes I wish I could wear a belt, but they just show off my lack of waist. So what are my options? Option 1 is to wear it low down on my hips rather than at my waist. Preferably with a curved belt that sits…
Yesterday I did a post on What Size Handbag to Choose – one of the commenter’s asked about handbag placement, should you wear it at your hips or under your arm, down the side of your body and what happens when you wear it across your body? The answer lies in knowing your body shape and…
Here again is my gorgeous friend Jan Fisher, Image Coach, from New Zealand – who is heading fast to 60! Red is one of her favourite colours and she wears it well! Her style is either a skirt with a knit top and often a jacket, or pants and a knit top with a…
I’ve had quite a few requests from my lovely readers to do some posts on 50+ dressing, so rather than me do up another polyvore, I thought I’d bring some ‘real life’ 50+ into my blog. Let me introduce you to my gorgeous friend and colleague Jan Fisher – who is an image…
How to Choose an Empire Waist to Suit Your Body Shape An Empire Waist garment has a high cut waist seam that sits directly under the breasts (above your natural waistline). It’s flattering on so many body shapes because it doesn’t require a defined natural waist to work. For petites it works because it raises…
Karen asked me to give some advice on tucking – who should and who shouldn’t. Basically, if you are short through the waist (and especially if you have a medium to large bust), don’t tuck, it will make you look even shorter through the waist. This applies to H shapes, O shapes and…
Not only do we have body shapes (which can also be called our Horizontal Body Shape) we also have to take into consideration our Body Proportions (or Vertical Body Shape). Proportions are important as they tell us where to end our clothes, such as hems on skirts, hems on tops and jackets. Should you end…
